Lubbock High ousts Randall in Class 4A baseball playoffs

Randall's Reid Kjerstad beats the throw to steal second base as Lubbock High shortstop Michael Davis is late with the tag Saturday in Game 3 of their Class 4A bidistrict series at Raider Field. Lubbock High won, 8-1, to capture the series.

Sean Steffen / Amarillo Globe-News Randall first baseman Brian Canida fields a Lubbock High grounder before stepping on the bag for an out Saturday, May 2, 2014 during their Class 4A bidistrict baseball series at Raider Field.

Preston pitched his first complete game Saturday, allowing Randall four hits during an 8-1 series-clinching Game 3 win in this Class 4A best-of-three bidistrict series at Raider Field.

Lubbock High (19-12) advanced to next week’s 4A area around against El Paso Eastlake. Randall finished its season 21-10-1.

“Randall’s hitters wear out guys who throw hard,” Ribera said. “Riggan has done great job for us all year. He’s a J. Paul Dodson (former Randall pitcher who Ribera coached when at Randall) in that he is slow, slower, slowest. He threw strikes and got us groundballs and we made plays behind him. He did a great job and then those early runs were huge for us. It takes the bunt stuff away from them ”

Randall entered Saturday having evened the series at 1-1 with a 9-5 win Friday night. But Lubbock High opened Game 3 with four runs in the top of the first.

The Raiders hurt their own cause by botching a run-down between second and third that allowed Lubbock High runners at second and third.

But the big blow was a two-out, two-run double down the right-field line by Michael Arrizola off Randall sophomore starter Kyle Eifert (2-1), scoring Chris York and Devin Trevino for a 4-0 lead.

“That was very huge for me because those four runs gave me a lot of confidence,” Preston said. “I was a little nervous for those first couple of pitches (in the first inning), but I quickly got in a groove and never came out of it. I’m not one of the hardest throwing pitchers, but I can throw my junk all day. So I tried to keep them off balance.”

Randall’s offense in the bottom of the first set a pattern that would unfold throughout the game as Brett Taff, Brayden James and Brian Canida each grounded out to Lubbock shortstop Michael Davis.

Davis proved the cliche true of being a human vacuum cleaner, making the opening five outs on grounders hit to him. The strong-armed Midland College signee finished with seven assists to first base, started an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning and recorded two outs on fly balls.

Randall finished with four hits — all singles.

The Raiders had one runner reach past second base when Jake Pederson. who went 2-for-3, scored on a single by Reid Kjerstad, who also went 2-for-3, cutting the Lubbock lead to 4-1 in the second inning.

“Those kind of pitchers (throwing off speed) have given us trouble,” Randall coach Cory Hamilton said. “A lot of times in a Game 3 you kind of expect a slugfest. They did their part, but we couldn’t hold up our end on offense. Give their kid credit. We scouted him and knew what he was about but he did a good job against us.”

A rare play also thwarted a Randall scoring opportunity in the fourth, when the Raiders trailed 6-1. Pederson singled and Brendon Faust walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Trent Mulherin followed with a line drive that struck a running Pederson, who was called out. With two outs, Kjersatd hit a sizzler up the middle that deflected off Preston straight to Lubbock second baseman Cory Schovanec, who threw to first to end the inning.